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The differences between auditors and accounting analysts can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an accounting analyst has an average salary of $58,399, which is higher than the $54,853 average annual salary of an auditor.
The top three skills for an auditor include audit reports, customer service and financial statements. The most important skills for an accounting analyst are reconciliations, customer service, and account reconciliations.
| Auditor | Accounting Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $54,853 | $58,399 |
| Hourly rate | $26.37 | $28.08 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 20,325 | 81,097 |
| Job satisfaction | 3 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | - | 4 |
An auditor is responsible for reviewing financial statements and making sure that the reports align with the accounting principles and legislative standards. Some of the important duties of an auditor are verifying the company's account statements, ensuring that the business is free from fraud and other unusual activities, providing recommendations to boost operations' performance, and creating financial reports for the board. An auditor should have excellent analytical and decision-making skills to spot inaccuracies of financial statements and resolve financial issues immediately.
An accounting analyst is responsible for supporting the accounting operations of an organization, analyzing financial transactions and financial statements, and resolving account discrepancies. Accounting analysts interpret financial data by consolidating account transactions, performing account reconciliation, and managing account receivables. They also assist in preparing and releasing invoices, issuing billing statements, and creating comprehensive financial reports on the company's budget and expenses. An accounting analyst must have excellent knowledge of the accounting principles and disciplines, as well as extensive analytical and communication skills to perform duties and meet deadlines under minimal supervision.
Auditors and accounting analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Auditor | Accounting Analyst | |
| Average salary | $54,853 | $58,399 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $84,000 | Between $42,000 And $79,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New York |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Finance |
There are a few differences between an auditor and an accounting analyst in terms of educational background:
| Auditor | Accounting Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Accounting | Accounting |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between auditors' and accounting analysts' demographics:
| Auditor | Accounting Analyst | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 44.9% Female, 55.1% | Male, 41.6% Female, 58.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.8% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.1% Asian, 12.1% White, 63.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 8.7% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.0% Asian, 14.3% White, 61.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |